Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux dies at 60: Live updates
Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux, who was playoff MVP in 1995 and was involved in a controversial hit in 1996, died Thursday at age 60, the Montreal Canadiens announced.
Lemieux won his first Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986.
“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community. I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones,” said Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of Groupe CH. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player."
Lemieux had carried the torch into Montreal's Bell Centre before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.
Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 as the New Jersey Devils swept the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. He had a league-best 13 goals that postseason.
Lemieux joined the Colorado Avalanche in a trade that offseason after a dispute about his contract and won his third Stanley Cup. During the postseason run, he hit Kris Draper from behind into the boards, leaving the Red Wings player with severe facial injuries. Lemieux received a two-game suspension.
The Red Wings and Avalanche got into a brawl the following season as they tried to get back at Lemieux.
Lemieux moved back to the Devils for one season in 1999-2000, winning his fourth Stanley Cup.
He finished his career with the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars and then played 18 games with the San Jose Sharks in the 2008-09 season.
Lemieux became a player agent after his retirement, representing Frederik Andersen, Timo Meier and Moritz Seider, among others. His son, Brendan, played in the NHL from 2017-24.
USA TODAY Sports contacted the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office but has been notified that the information it has for Claude Lemieux is "exempt from public records." We will update this story as more information is released.
Claude Lemieux cause of death update
The Palm County Medical Examiner's Office told USA TODAY Sports in response to an open records request that "all public records you have requested for Claude Lemieux are exempt from public records as specified under SB 474 - FS 406.135. (2) (c)."
The Florida statute cited by the Palm County Medical Examiner’s Office was enacted in 2024 and exempts photos, videos, audio recordings and autopsy reports related to suicide victims from general public records requests.
Gary Bettman statement on Claude Lemieux
NHL commissioner has released a statement in the wake of Lemieux's death.
"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history," he wrote. You can read the full statement here.